MEKELLE, Ethiopia, October 16, 2026 (Horn News Hub)
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has rejected the caretaker administration established by Ethiopia’s federal government and warned against activities in and around Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle.
In a Friday statement, the TPLF said it does not recognize the administration’s authority or the validity of its decisions, and warned that institutions cooperating with it would be held accountable.
The statement alleged that the airport is being used for military and logistical operations rather than civilian air transport. It also prohibited unauthorized movement toward areas where troops are deployed using three-wheeled vehicles, motorcycles or bicycles.
The claims about the airport’s military use could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
The statement followed the Ethiopian government’s announcement of a six-month caretaker administration in Tigray.
Ethiopian Airlines has announced the resumption of passenger flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle in both directions after suspending service for several weeks in October. The airline had halted flights to Mekelle, Shire and Axum in late September amid heightened security concerns and renewed military tensions in Tigray.
Getachew Reda, an adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister, sharply criticized the TPLF leadership in a statement responding to the development. He accused the group of resorting to terrorist tactics and claimed that its leaders were threatening to shoot down civilian aircraft traveling to Mekelle.
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Getachew described the alleged threats as further evidence, in his view, that the people of Tigray would be better off without the group’s leadership.
The resumption could help restore civilian air transport between Mekelle and the federal capital, but the TPLF’s statement raises questions about airport operations and civilian movement as the dispute over the caretaker administration continues.
A scholar who commented on the development described the restrictions as “an act of terrorism,” arguing that such measures could threaten civilian movement and disrupt essential transport services.
